Display carton for flood lamps



United States Patent l 13,539,091

[72] Inventor Lowell C. Murray 2,345,646 4/1944 Williamson 229/39(B)UX Fort Wayne, Indiana 3,089,632 5/1963 Bartolucci 206/45. 19 [21] Appl. No. 775,346 3,140,007 7/1964 Nettleship 220/97(F)UX [22] Filed Nov. 13, 1968 3,181,694 5/1965 Candell 206/45.l4 Patented Nov. 10, 1970 3,282,410 11/1966 Cote 206/45.l4 [73] Assignee Container Corporation of America FOREIGN PATENTS Chm, 1,076 1914 Great Britain 229/39 a corporation of Delaware Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, Jr. Attorney-Richard W. Carpenter [54] DISPLAY CARTON FOR FLOOD LAMPS 3 Claims, 8 Drawlng Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 229/39,

206/4519 206/46 ABSTRACT: A display carton in the form ofa sleeve for hold- [51] Ill- Cl h p f incandescent p generally refened to as a 365d 5/ floodlight or floodlamp, said carton being comprised of a lamp [50] Field of Search 206/46(M), base holding structure formed from tabs folded inward o 46(Fra811e) 45-191 45-31; 229,391 the side panels of said sleeve, and retaining flap means hinged 22, 40/5' 313 to the panels of the sleeve for engaging the lamp at the juncture of its lens surface and the lamp envelo e. References and A feature of the invention resides in the isuaI inspection of UNITED STATES PATENTS the lamp, ready adaptation of the carton to lamps of different 1,772,338 8/1930 Cherry 40/5X ratings, and stacking of the filled cartons,

Patented Nov. 10, 1970 3,539,091

Sheet 1 of 2 INVENTOR LOWELL C MURRAY FA BY W RCL I ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 10, 1970 Z of 2 Sheet in 3*. mm 3 RH mm mm hm (mm mm mm INVENTOR LOWELL c. MURRAY.

ATTORNEY DISPLAY CARTON FOR FLOOD LAMPS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I Field of the Invention This invention relates to cartons for the packaging of a fragile object such as an incandescent lamp. The carton is formed from a unitary paperboard blank, and is characterized by being able to display the contents thereof, and to indicate the light output of the lamp being displayed therein.

The carton lends itself readily to those applications where the lens of the floodlamp is coated with colored plastic, which can be scratched or rubbed off easily, and the lamp is accordingly supported within the carton in such a fashion that the lens surface is entirely protected.

2. Description of the Prior Art Containers of the prior art, such as shown in Robinson U.S. Pat No. 1,891,839; Voorhies U.S. Pat. No. 3,134,486 and Cote US. Pat. No. 3,337,033, for the packaging of incandescent lamps have not been taxed with the problem of protecting a lens surface coated with colored plastic films.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The structure according to the present invention presents some advantages over the prior art in that a floodlamp may be packed for display purposes in such a fashion that a coated lens surface thereof is completely isolated, to the end that surface will not be scratched or abraded by packaging material. An important feature of the invention structure resides in the fact that a plurality of corner posts are provided which enables the cartons to be nicely stacked. Since the completed carton has a taper, a number of the cartons may be placed in alternate end for end relationship, in which packing condition the floodlamps are completely isolated from each other in what may be considered a floating" position for each floodlamp.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 an isometric view showing a display carton having the improvements according to the present invention embodied therein;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank employed in forming the carton FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of the carton and a forming jig for supporting the carton for loading the same, and for completing closing thereof after loading;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view showing the carton in situ in the loading jig;

FIG. 5 is a detailed isometric view showing details of a flap for retaining the lamp in position, and a locking flap for the retaining flap;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5, looking in the direction ofthe arrows;

FIG. 7 shows how the loaded cartons may be arranged for stacking; and

FIG. 8 shows how the loaded cartons may be arranged in reversed end for end relationship for shipping.

SPECIFICATION Referring particularly to FIG. I of the drawings, the improved display carton according to the present invention is denoted by the reference numeral 10 and is adapted to retain a flood lamp FL therein. The latter consists of a lens surface L, see FIG. 8, a generally frusto-conical lamp envelope LE and a lamp base LB. Lamp FL is adapted to be held in the carton 10 which is formed from a blank 10A seen in FIG. 2.

Blank 10A is comprised of panels 11, 12, 13 and 14 which are hingedly connected together along score lines 16. A glue flap l7 hingedly connected to one side of the panel 11 along score line 18 forms a means of connecting the panels in such a fashion as to form a tubular sleeve, glue flap 17 being adapted to be glued to the right edge of panel-l4 as seen in FIG. 2.

Each of the panels 11, 12, I3 and 14 is provided with fold down tabs 15 adapted to engage the base LB of the flood lamp FL. The fold-down tabs 15 are each formed in the panels 11 to 14 inclusive, each such fold-down tab 15 being defined by a pair of slit lines 21 which are divergent from each other and extend from a score line 26 in each panel. The divergent slit lines 21 are intersected by edges 24 of the fold-down tabs 15, a curved slit line 23 in each of the panels defining the other extremity of fold-down tab 15.

Each of the fold-down tabs 15 has an aperture 27 therein arranged to receive the base LB when the apertures 27 are in register. In the forming of the carton 10 to receive the lamp FL therein the lower extremities of the carton are constricted sufficiently by hand that they can be placed into a locating jig F.] as seen in FIG. 3. Locating jig F] has a recess SR therein generally in the form of a four pointed star having points P defined by converging sides CS. As seen in FIG. 4, the recess SR has a certain amount of rake R to enable the carton to slide nicely therein to and to be withdrawn readily therefrom. The placement of the carton 10 into the jig FJ causes the folddown tabs 15 to be brought into a position where the apertures 27 are in register, so as to receive the lamp base LB.

The recess SR in the jig F] has a hub l-IB therein adapted to support the lamp base LB and accurately align the lamp FL with respect to the tubular sleeve 10.

The lower extremities of each of the panels 11 to 14 remaining after the removal of the fold-down tabs 15 therefrom cause remaining elements 25 thereof to be adapted to be held in the jig F] and to be in the nature of corner posts for the carton 10.

After the lamp FL is located in the tubular sleeve in the manner described, structure is provided and formed from the panels 11 to 14 inclusive to act in the nature of retaining means for holding the lamp FL in position without contacting the surface of the lens L thereof. This is especially important in those instances where the lens L is covered with a colored plastic material to give different colors of the spectrum when the lamp is energized. This is especially useful where it is desired to use a translucent or transparent lens L instead of having the same made of colored glass.

Structure for retaining the lamp FL in position comprises a tab 29 extending from each of the opposed panels 12 and 14, tabs 29 being foldable with respect to the panels 12 and 14 by means of score lines 32. Each of the tabs 29 has a tab 31 foldable with respect thereto along a fold line 33, and fold line 33 is also characterized by spaced dimple folds 34 and 36 having a dimple panel defined 35 thereby. Transversely extending score lines 35A and 35B extend from the ends of the dimple panel 35 transversely across the respective flaps 31 and 29. The ends of the score line 35A extend to the ends of a curved edge 37 of the flap 31. As seen in .FIG. 2 the score lines 35A and 35B are paired and diverge from each other to the ends of the curved edge 37.

After placing the flood lamp FL in position at the folded in tabs 15 and upon the central hollow boss HB, the flaps 29 and 31 are folded with respect to each other along the score line 33, and when so folded are folded along the line 32 to engage the juncture between the lens L and the lamp envelope LE of the flood lamp FL. The dimple panel 35 is in contact with such juncture and prevents endwise movement of the flood lamp FL beyond the folded in flaps 29 and 31, see FIG. 6.

The flap 31 which has been folded underneath the flap 29 is provided with end tabs 38 hingedly connected to the flap 31 along a score line 39. These end tabs 38 extend along the inner faces of the panels 11 and 13 and cooperate with an end flap 41 connected to the panels and 13 along score lines 42. Flap 41 has a curved rounded extension 43 through which a score line 44 extends. The shape of the extension 43 conforms generally to the shape of a score line 46 in the tab 41, and a central score line 44 is in alignment with the edge of the tab 41. The latter is adapted to be folded along the score line 42 against the periphery or the line of juncture of the lens L with the lamp envelope LE, similar to the retaining flaps 31 and 29 previously described.

velope LE therepast.

When the loading process has been completed within the carton 10, the same is removed and a sequence of operations described with respect to the folding of the retaining flaps is repeated for another carton and flood lamp FL. By reason of the reduced dimensions of the lower ends of the carton 10 caused by the overlapping of the fold-down tabs 15, and the placement of the lamp base LB thereat, the carton adopts a configuration as seen in FIGS. 7 and 8.

Structure is provided for enabling the cartons to be stacked one on top of the other as seen in FIG 7. To this end the lower extremities of each of the panels 11 to 14 inclusive have bottom angle cuts 47 which together with the elements 25 result in the provision of corner feet for the carton 10. The angle cuts enable the carton 10 with the loaded lamp FL therein to be placed atop a lower carton upon the lens L thereof as seen in FIG. 7.

Moreover, by reason of the constriction of the lower end of the carton 10 as described with reference to FIG. 7 it is possible to place the cartons in reverse end to end relationship as seen in FIG. 8 so that the lamps therein are in what may be considered a suspended condition isolating them from each other and from shipping material thereabout. This is especially important in those cases where the lens surface L is coated with a colored plastic material not resistant to abrasion from packaging material.

As seen in FIG. 2, each of the fold-down tabs 15 is marked with intelligence corresponding to the rating of the lamp being packed, such as 100 watts, 175 watts, etc., as desired. The top most of such tabs, exposed to view, indicates the lamp rating.

l claim:

1. A display carton for a lamp of the type having a lens surface, a generally frustoconical lamp envelope and a lamp base, said carton comprising:

a. a plurality of panels hingedly connected together to form a tubular sleeve;

b. at least one fold-down tab hinged to at least one of said panels;

c. said fold-down tab having an aperture therein to receive said lamp base;

d. retaining double thickness flaps foldably hinged to a pair of opposed panels near the ends thereof remote from said fold down tab for engaging the lamp at the juncture of said lens surface and said lamp envelope.

2. A display carton for a lamp of the type having a lens surface, a generally frustoconical lamp envelope and a lamp base, said carton comprising:

a. a plurality of panels hingedly connected together to form a tubular sleeve;

b. at least one fold-down tab hinged to at least one of said panels:

c. said fold-down tab having an aperture therein to receive said lamp base;

d. retaining flaps foldably hinged to a pair of opposed panels near the ends thereof remote from said fold-down tab and having double thickness defined by a score line including curved scores and providing a dimple element for engaging the lamp at the juncture of its lens surface and its envelope.

3. A display carton according to claim 2, wherein the other of said panels are provided with locking flaps foldable into position to engage said double thickness flaps at the ends thereof and thereby hold said double thickness flaps in position. 

